Flexible material for flexible package

Abstract

A flexible, stackable, recloseable container for storing a quantity of products comprising a plurality of walls defined by a first sheet and a second sheet attached to at least a portion of the first sheet. The second sheet extends over at least three of the walls. The opposing container walls each have a sealed portion and one or more tucks, the tucks comprising a portion of the first sheet tucked toward the interior volume. A portion of the second sheet defines a recloseable feature located over an opening for reclosing the container. The second sheet includes a line of reduced strength at or adjacent at least a boundary adjacent the tucks and disposed between the opposing container walls each having the sealed portion and an adjacent container wall. The second sheet can include a hinge about which the recloseable feature pivots from closed position to open position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A flexible material for a flexible package, comprising:
 a first sheet comprising: 
 a plurality of panel regions comprising a first panel region disposed between second and third panel regions, wherein the first sheet comprises an opening region disposed in at least one of the first, second, or third panel regions, and 
 a second sheet attached to the first sheet in (i) at least a portion of the at least one of the first, second, and third panel regions in which the opening region is defined and (ii) at least a portion of a panel region adjacent to the at least one of the first, second or third panel region, 
 wherein a portion of the second sheet overlies the opening region and defines a reclosable flap that is configured to partially detach from a remaining portion of the second sheet to expose the opening region, and the second sheet is attached to less than an entirety of the first sheet, wherein the first sheet has one or more tuck regions, each tuck region adapted to be folded towards the interior volume into tucks when the flexible material is configured into a package, the tucks being disposed at least partially under a seal formed in the second and/or third panel regions; and the second sheet has portions that extends onto the tuck fold regions such that the second sheet extends into the tucks when the flexible material is configured into the package, 
 wherein the first sheet comprises one or more corner regions, and the second sheet comprises one or more apertures at the corner regions such that the second sheet is not attached to the first sheet in the one or more corner regions and when the flexible material is configured into a package the one or more corner regions form one or more corners that extend through the one or more apertures. 
 
     
     
       2. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet comprises one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the second panel region. 
     
     
       3. The flexible material of  claim 2 , wherein the second sheet comprises one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the third panel region. 
     
     
       4. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the portions of the second sheet that extends onto the tuck fold regions have a first end adjacent to the first panel region and an oppositely disposed second end, and the portions are wider at the first end as compared to the second end. 
     
     
       5. The flexible material of  claim 4 , wherein the portions have a taper shape. 
     
     
       6. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet is attached to at least a portion of the first sheet such that the second sheet partially extends over at least three of the plurality of panel regions. 
     
     
       7. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet comprises one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the at least one of the first second, and third panel regions and the adjacent panel region. 
     
     
       8. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet is attached to the first sheet in at least a portion of the first panel region, the second panel region, and the third panel region. 
     
     
       9. The flexible material of  claim 1 , wherein the second sheet further comprises one or more projections extending from an end of the flap and configured to detach from a remaining portion of the second sheet and pivot from a first position in which the one or more projections are in the same plane as the first sheet and a second position in which the one or more projections are angled relative to the first sheet. 
     
     
       10. A flexible material for a flexible package, comprising:
 a first sheet comprising: 
 a first panel region disposed between second and third panel regions, an opening panel region being defined in at least one of the first, second, and third panel regions; 
 oppositely disposed fourth and fifth panel regions disposed adjacent to opposite ends of the second panel region; 
 oppositely disposed sixth and seventh panel regions disposed adjacent to opposite ends of the third panel region; and 
 oppositely disposed eighth and ninth panel regions disposed adjacent to opposite ends of the first panel region, the eighth and ninth panel regions defining opposed tuck regions, wherein the fourth, sixth, and eighth panel regions cooperate to define a sidewall having a tuck and a seal when the flexible material is configured into the flexible package, and the fifth, seventh, and ninth panel regions cooperate to define an opposed sidewall having a tuck when the flexible material is configured into the flexible package, wherein a boundary is defined between each adjacent ones of the plurality of panel regions, wherein when configured into a package, a fold is formed in the flexible material at each boundary; 
 a second sheet attached to a portion of the first sheet in (i) at least a portion of the first panel region, (ii) at least one of the eighth and ninth panel regions defining the tuck fold regions and (iii) at least one of at least a portion of the second panel region and a portion of one or both of the fourth and fifth panel regions, and at least a portion of the third panel region and a portion of one or both of the sixth and seventh panel regions, wherein: 
 the second sheet extends over a first boundary between the first panel region and at least one of the eighth or ninth panel regions, and comprises a line of reduced strength at or adjacent to the first boundary, 
 the second sheet is attached to portion of the fourth or fifth panel regions and/or the sixth and seventh panel regions such that the second sheet remains outboard of the seal formed when the fourth, sixth, and eighth panel regions and/or the fifth, seventh, and ninth panel regions cooperate to define the sidewall of the package having the tuck and the seal, 
 wherein the first sheet comprises one or more corner zones, and the second sheet comprises one or more corner reliefs disposed in the one or more corner zones. 
 
     
     
       11. The flexible material of  claim 10 , wherein a portion of the second sheet is attached to a portion of the eighth panel region and a portion of the second sheet is attached to the ninth panel region, the second sheet extends over the first boundary between the first panel region and the eighth panel regions, and comprises the line of reduced strength at or adjacent to the first boundary, and the second sheet extends over a second boundary between the first panel region and the ninth panel region, and comprises a line of reduced strength at or adjacent to the second boundary. 
     
     
       12. The flexible material of  claim 10 , wherein the second sheet is attached to at least portions of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth panel regions and the second sheet comprises:
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the second panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the third panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the eighth panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the first panel region and the ninth panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the second panel region and the fourth panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the second panel region and the fifth panel region, 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the third panel region and the sixth panel region, and 
 one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to a boundary between the third panel region and the seventh panel region. 
 
     
     
       13. The flexible material of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to the boundary between the second panel region and the fourth panel region, the boundary between the second panel region and the fifth panel region, at or adjacent to a boundary between the third panel region and the sixth panel region, or at or adjacent to a boundary between the third panel region and the seventh panel region is non-linear. 
     
     
       14. The flexible material of  claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to the boundary between the second panel region and the fourth panel region, the one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to the boundary between the second panel region and the fifth panel region, the one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to the boundary between the third panel region and the sixth panel region, and the one or more lines of reduced strength disposed at or adjacent to the boundary between the third panel region and the seventh patent region is curved.